Studying magnetism from Key Stages 3 to 5 involves a progressively increasing understanding of this fundamental scientific concept. To support this journey, we have put together a series of magnetism-related activities for your students. Key Stage 3 will increase the students’ understanding of bar magnets. In Key Stage 4 students will create their own electromagnets (full procedure included in this article), and for Key Stage 5 we include a novel way to tackle Lenz’s Law in the form of a fun practical. These sessions will provide a brief overview of some aspects of magnetism for students from Year 7 to college.
Key Stage 3 – An Introduction to Bar Magnets
Materials:
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Plastic Cased Bar Magnets, 80 x 22 x 10mm, PK2 – MAG3111Introduce students to the plastic-cased bar magnets, which are robust, visually appealing and the poles are easily identifiable. These magnets can be used to demonstrate basic magnetic properties like attraction and repulsion.
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Large Ferrite Bar Magnets, 14 x 10 x 50 mm, PK20 – MAG3216Large ferrite bar magnets are ideal for group activities, allowing every child in the class to engage in hands-on experiments. These are perfect if you are buying in bulk and are looking for a class-set.
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3D Magnetic Field Demonstrator – PHY3080To visually illustrate what is a magnetic field and what causes magnetism, this 3D magnetic field demonstrator is a fantastic tool. It helps children see the invisible magnetic fields in three dimensions and conceptualise magnetism through interactive learning.
Key Stage 4 – How To Make an Electromagnet
Full experiment procedures below:
Materials:
▶ Single core wire
▶ Lascells Digital Milliammeter – ELE6602
You can also use a multimeter from SLS Select Education’s range
▶ Lascells Switched MII Power Supply – PY3001
Method:
1. Cut a 150cm length of single core wire.
2. Strip about 2 cm of insulation from each end of the wire using the wire strippers.
3. Take the soft iron bar and wind the stripped single core wire around it, making sure to leave approximately 10 cm of wire free at both ends for connections.
4. Make sure the coils are wound tightly and uniformly along the length of the soft iron bar. Record the number of coils you have.
5. Connect the ends of the single core wire to the crocodile clip leads.
6. Set up your power supply at 2v and attach the crocodile clip lead to one of terminals.
7. Attach the other lead to the red terminal of the Lascells Digital Milliammeter to measure the current flowing
through the coil. Attach the black terminal to the bottom of the coil.
8. Turn on the power supply to allow current to flow through the single wire coil.
9. Bring the electromagnet near a pile of small paper clips and observe how many are attracted to it. Record how many it holds.
10. Turn off the milliammeter power supply and observe what happens to the paper clips.
11. Try increasing the number of turns of the single core wire around the soft iron bar and repeat the test to see how it affects the strength of the electromagnet.
12. Optionally, vary the current flowing through the wire coil by adding a rheostat to the circuit and using the milliammeter to observe the changing current and the effect on the electromagnet’s strength by recording how many paper clips it can hold.
Conclusion:
▶ Describe how the number of coils affected the strength of the magnet. Explain how you came to this conclusion.
▶ Discuss the relationship between the number of coils, the current, and the strength of the electromagnet.
Key Stage 5 – Lenz’s Law Demonstration
Materials:
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“Splat The Rat” – Lenz’s law demonstration - MAG3802
Lenz's Law can be demonstrated using two 'rats', one containing strong neodymium magnets and the other just a metal weight. 1m of copper tube and a foam-covered rounders bat completes the kit. In use, the challenge for the pupil is to hit the rat as it emerges from the tube. It gives a dramatic demonstration of Lenz's Law since the magnetised rat takes about 5 seconds to exit the tube.
We hope these activities provide an overview of magnetism for your students. If you are interested in personalised advice, our team are happy to assist you with any queries. Simply get in touch with one of our local representatives.